New Beginnings
by Ariadne Locke
Summary: James Potter survived that fateful night. Together with Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape he struggles to raise a son alone. Will be a Severus/James and in later chapters a Draco/Harry.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Not sure where this came from but I'm having fun with it. In most of the stories I've read, it's usually Lily that survives Voldemort's attack. This time, it's James. Also, before you send a bunch of flamers, this is a James/Severus slash fic as well as a Sirius/Remus slash fic. If you do not like ther pairings, don't read. Obviously, the Severus/James part will be a slow process but they WILL be a couple. Remus and Sirius are already together at the start of the fic and they will stay together throughout the fic. You'll notice I changed a few things. One, Remus already knows that James and Lily changed secret keepers. Two, Severus and the Marauders made friends because of Lily. I did this for a reason and so, again, if you're going to flame...please just don't. I'll ignore you.Also, I know I now have quite a few stories started but I promise you I will update them all in due time. 

Addison Jade Wells

Chapter One

James Potter awoke with a stiff neck and an aching body. The first thing he noticed, upon opening his eyes, was that the house was silent. Not only that but it was dark. And reeked of dark magic. James brought himself to his feet and up the half-destroyed staircase that led to his son's bedroom. The sight he found upon getting there brought tears to his eyes. Lily was dead. She lay on the floor in front of their son's crib, eyes open and glassy. He fought back the tears and looked to his son's crib which was...empty. His son's crib was empty. Had Voldemort taken his son? What was going on? He stumbled from the room, picking his wand up off of the staircase as he went. Hearing a sobbing from downstairs, he went down to find...Remus.

Remus Lupin was sitting on the couch, head in his hands, sobbing. James went over to him and lay a hand on his arm. Remus jumped, eyes flitting to James' face. Seeing his friend, Remus hugged him tightly, tears still pouring down the werewolf's face. The last time James had seen him cry this much was when he, Sirius, and Peter had told him that it didn't matter what he was. James hugged him back until Remus stopped crying enough to talk.

"How do I know you're James Potter?" Remus asked.

"Ask me something only I would know, of course."

"What is your animagus form?"

James grinned a little. "I am Prongs."

Remus gave a small smile. "Oh thank God..."

"What has happened Remy?"

"They've arrested Sirius. They've taken Harry someplace."

"Why on God's green earth have they arrested Sirius?! And where is my son?!" James asked.

Remus sighed. "They've arrested Sirius because they believe him to be the secret keeper. I tried to tell them the truth. I tried to tell them you'd switched but...well they wouldn't have it. He went to Azkaban without a bloody trial. And Albus took Harry someplace. Wouldn't tell me where. Just that there were blood wards that would keep Harry safe."

"Did no one think to check if I was bloody alive before they went carting people off to Azkaban and stealing my son?!"

"Apparently not. James, what are we going to do?"

"First of all, we're going to the Ministry to get our best mate back. The nerve of some bloody people. Second off, we're going to number Four Privet Drive to retrieve my boy."

"All right then. Let's go. The thought of Sirius in Azkaban any longer than necessary is horrifying. And Harry must be with you. If he's with the Dursley's..." Remus' voice trailed off, looking faintly sick.

"I have no doubt that's exactly where Dumbledore put him. The old fool. Perhaps we should pay him a visit after the Dursley's. I'd like him to explain how he allowed this to happen. Bloody old coot knew we'd switched Secret Keepers."

"He did?"

"Of bloody course he did. He performed the spell!"

"Bloody hell..."

The two men stood and walked to the edge of the property so that they could apparate to the Ministry of Magic. When they'd arrived, James put on his Lord Potter persona and walked through the doors, Remus trailing him. They went to the fourth floor, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and knocked - banged really - on the door of Cornelius Fudge who currently headed the Department. He answered the door and took a step back upon seeing james' face.

"I wonder," James began, stepping into the office. "Why you couldn't have checked to see that I was dead before you went carting my best mate off to Azkaban without a trial."

"He's a traitor!" Cornelius protested.

"No he bloody well was not! He wasn't even the secret keeper!" James said, patience having broken.

"W-what?"

"You heard me. I said he was not the secret keeper. Peter Pettigrew was the damned secret keeper. He betrayed Lily and I. Not Sirius."

"Peter is dead. All we have of him is a finger."

"A fine trick, then. He's a rat animagus. It would have been no problem to have cut a finger off and flee into the sewers."

"Bloody hell."

"I am going to Azkaban now to retrieve Sirius Black. I expect that he be ready to leave by the time I get there."

"Yes Lord Potter. Of course."

"Good. Come on Remus. Let us go fetch Siri."

And the two swept from the room. Remus had to hide his laughter. James' Lord Potter persona wasn't used often but it was indeed quite effective in getting what he needed. They apparated to the island that Azkaban was located on. It was a cold, rainy place where Dementors ruled. Just being here made them both feel queasy. But they wouldn't be here long. They would retrieve Sirius and then they'd leave. Harry was waiting.

"Name and business."

"James Potter. Remus Lupin. We are here to pick up Sirius Black." James said, voice cold.

"Morton! Bring Black this way!" the Auror on duty shouted over his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Sirius walked out of a small room. He saw James standing there, looking both proud and disgusted, and ran for him. The two men hugged fiercely for a long moment before pulling Remus in with them. When they'd parted, the three men retrieved Sirius' wand and went outside to the Apparation point. There, Sirius asked the question that Remus hadn't.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you...but how in the hell did you survive?"

"The curse hit the wall. Dropped a chunk of it on my head and knocked me out. Guess Voldy-shorts thought I was incapacitated enough."

"Where's Harry? Please tell me he's not..."

"Not dead. We're pretty sure he's with Lily's relatives. We're going to retrieve him now. And then we're paying a visit to Albus Dumbledore."

"Erm...why Albus?"

"Because he knew you weren't the secret keeper for one. And for two, he gave Harry away without once checking to see that I was well and truly dead. Whoever came to retrieve Harry simply stepped over the dead body of my wife, stepped over myself, and didn't bother to check that both of us were indeed dead. He's got some explaining to do."

"Bloody hell. Come on. Let's go and get Harry."

The three friends Apparated to Privet Drive. Walking down the street together, they kept their wands at the ready. The lights in Number Four were on and there were loud voices coming from within along with the sharp cries of James' only son. He banged on the door and Petunia, Lily's sister, answered it. With a slightly disgusted look, she stepped aside and let them in. When the door was closed, she spoke.

"He told me you were dead."

"I'm not, obviously."

"I will retrieve your son and you can leave. Is Lily..."

"She's dead. Gone."

Petunia's eyes watered but she blinked the tears away. She left the small entrance way and returned a few moments later with a small bundle. Harry's eyes lit up at the sight of his father and uncles.

"Da! Remy! Pa'foo!" the boy exclaimed excitedly.

"Harry." the three men said in unison, relieved to see Harry alive and healthy.

James took his son and thanked Petunia. Holding his small son close, James apparated with his brothers to the entrance gate of Hogwarts. No doubt, Dumbledore was in his office, enjoying what he'd just done. Assuming the Lord Potter Persona once more, James led the way to the Headmaster's office. Upon seeing them, the Gargoyle leapt aside and allowed them entrance to the office. Together, they stalked up the stairs. Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, writing a letter. When they walked in, his eyes widened and he dropped his quill. James looked on coldly before speaking.

"You have approximately two minutes to explain why you threw my best mate in Azkaban and stole my son...all without making sure I was dead." James said.

"James, my boy, I was only doing what was best. Harry had to go to the Dursley's. He wouldn't have gone there if Sirius was free. I thought you were dead and I only wanted what was best for Harry."

"Sirius is his godfather. He should have gone straight to Sirius. The Dursley's have always hated us. There is no reason why Harry should have gone there. Sirius is every bit as capable of protecting Harrty as I am. We are leaving, Dumbledore. When Harry receives his Hogwarts letter, we will return."

"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!" And that was Severus.

In the last year, Severus and James had put their childhood differences aside for Lily's sake. She had wanted her best friend back and Severus, a spy for the Order, had been all too willing. James had never been able to say no to his wife and so he agreed. It took six months before they were friends but now James could safely say that Severus was a good mate. Someone he was proud to be friends with and he was disgusted at how he'd treated him in his youth. Looking at him now, standing in the doorway of Dumbledore's office with his wand at the ready, James was even gladder to have made friends with the Potions Master. He would not want to be on the other end of that wand.

"Severus, my boy, what is it?"

"You bloody old coot. You said they would be safe. That Harry and Lily and James would be fine! You...they're dead! And Harry's in the muggle world! I ought to kill you where you stand!"

"Sev, put down the wand." Sirius said.

It had been slightly harder for Severus to forgive and make friends with Remus and Sirius but he'd done that as well. He was now a good friend to both of them and if there was anyone that could talk sense into him, it was Sirius. Sirius and Severus, they'd discovered had a lot in common. They both loved potions, they both came from abusive families. When Severus was this angry, only two people could calm him. Lily, of course, and now Sirius.

"Sirius? They said you were in Azkaban."

"I was. James broke me out. He's alive. Lily's...she's gone...but James survived. Harry's here. We're going to be fine."

"Bloody hell." Severus muttered. 

"Sev'us!" Harry shouted, reaching for Severus.

James handed Severus his small son and watched as he held the boy close to him. Harry snuggled down against the Potions Master, content. Severus stared at James, eyes watering. For the first time, James realized how close he and Severus had become. How close Severus had become with all of them. How different would it have been had Severus not made friends with them all? He shook his head and decided to extend an offer to Severus. They'd become too close for James to just leave him behind.

"Remus, Sirius, and I are taking Harry to Ireland. I have a small Manor house there that we will be staying in. Would you be at all interested in joining us? We do need a Potions Master...and we would love to have you. after all, we've been betrayed and we do need a fourth Marauder." James said.

Severus nodded. "Of course." He looked to Albus. "Consider this me quitting. When Harry comes to Hogwarts, maybe I will return. Until then, however, I'm gone."

Albus looked at him strangely. "The post of Potions Master will be yours when you want it." He looked to James. "Is there anyway I could ask you to reconsider this?"

James shook his head. "You let my best mate get locked up in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. You gave my son to people who would have abused him. What would have happened if I would have been dead? Sirius would have been left to rot in that place and Harry would have grown up in a home Lily and I swore he'd never go. Do not think that I will ever forgive you for this, Albus. Because I won't. Come, Severus. Let's go get your things and depart."

Severus nodded. "Let's."

They left the office then, the four New Marauders. Severus led the way to his quarters, face set in am impassive line. Beside him, James held a sleeping Harry, his own hazel eyes sparkling with rage. Sirius and Remus were walking silently, hand in hand. Sirius looked both disappointed and pissed off while Remus was simply disappointed. How could Albus have done such a thing? The four Marauders and Harry collected Severus' belongings before heading off to Ireland. They would worry about warding the place against Albus Dumbledore and Death Eaters in the morning. Tonight, they would simply relax together as a family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The 'small manor house' that James owned was more of a palace than a manor house. Severus found himself rolling his eyes - affectionately mind you - at his friend. James had explained, as Severus had packed his meager belongings, that the house in Ireland was one his parents had bought on their honeymoon. It had gotten a lot of use over the years before his parents died and he'd always loved coming here. After he'd married Lily, though, he hadn't had much time to come here. And then Lily had fallen in love with Godric's Hollow and they'd moved there. Now, though, Potter Place was the one place he'd been completely sure could house them all comfortably. Severus had to say that he was probably right. Potter Place was three stories tall and had more rooms than Prince Manor had ever thought of having. (Prince Manor was Severus' ancestral home.)

They spent most of the second day cleaning up and getting their rooms arranged the way they wanted them. Harry's nursery had been set up by a few house elves since none of the men had ever known how to do such a thing. James had chosen the bedroom right across from the nursery and had set everything up to his liking. It was odd, though, being able to decorate a room to his liking. He missed Lily doing it, missed her quiet huff of annoyance when he put something in the wrong place. Lily had been the light of his life and now, without her, things felt cold and empty. James mentally shook himself. He still had Harry. Things would never be cold or empty with Harry around.

When he was finished setting up his bedroom, James headed downstairs to find the others. He came down to find Sirius and Remus cuddling on the couch while Severus watched over baby Harry. Harry was playing with the hem of Severus' robes while laying on the floor. He stood in the doorway for a moment, just watching his family. Oh, they may not be his blood - aside from Harry - but they were his family. It was nice to know that they still stood behind him. Even after Voldemort had targeted he and Lily they had stood behind him. And now they were here, keeping him sane and helping him in the grieving process. It was more than he could ask for and he was thankful to them for being there.

"Whatcha thinkin' about Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"How lucky I am to have you all with me."

Severus rolled his eyes. "And where else would we be?"

James laughed, sitting down beside Severus. "Well, you know you all could have walked away when Voldemort came after us. Especially you, Severus. We haven't been friends that long. You could have gotten out of harms way."

Severus slapped the back of James' head. "Of course I couldn't have done that. You and Lily are my best friends. I had to stick by you two."

Sirius nodded. "Besides that, I've been a target in this war since the very beginning because of my last name. Remus as well because of his furry little problem. So it's not like being friends with you was any more dangerous than being on our own. At least we had friends."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Besides that we _wanted_ to stick by you and Lily. You are our best friends and that means we stick together no matter how rough the times get."

"I know. I just...I'm so thankful that I have friends that want to stick by me. Especially after Lily's death...I need that. Harry needs it."

Before any of them could reply, a small muggle device vibrated in Severus' pocket. He pulled out a muggle cell phone and pressed it to his ear. He was quiet for a long time, his face horrified. He told whoever was on the phone the address and told them to apparate right away and that he would do whatever he could to help them. When he got off the phone, his face was white.

"What is it mate?" Sirius asked.

"You remember Lucius, right? Malfoy?"

"Yeah. Death Eater, right?"

Severus nodded. "Not by choice. He was forced into it by his father and later placed under the Imperius by Voldemort."

"What happened?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange was taken into custody a few minutes ago. She tortured his year-old son with the Cruciatus Curse."

"She did what?!" James demanded.

Severus nodded, face still pale. "She tortured my baby godson. Lucius and Narcissa are frantic. They don't believe Malfoy Manor is safe anymore. I told them to come straight here. I have the potions to help recover Draco and we certainly have enough room to house them."

"Of course. I don't really know Lucius and Narcissa all that well but if you say they're good people, I believe you."

"They're among the best people I know."

The crack of apparation stopped all conversation. Severus hurried outside and came back with the Malfoy family. Lucius and Narcissa were both pale and quiet. Narcissa held baby Draco who was whimpering in pain. At the sound of the whimper, Harry's head snapped up and he toddled over to the young couple. He stared up at Draco for a long moment before going to James. Picking his son up, James went to greet the Malfoy family.

"Welcome to Potter Place." James said.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

James smiled. "Any friend of Severus is a friend of mine. Let's take young Draco to the nursery. He'll be more comfortable there and Severus can attend to him there."

"That's a good idea." Severus said.

James led the way to Harry's nursery where there were two cribs set up. Why there had been two cribs James didn't know but now he was glad of it. Narcissa set Draco in one of them and Severus summoned the needed potions immediately. Draco took the potions obediently, still whimpering in pain. Harry, still in James' arms, reached out and grabbed Draco's hand. Draco held Harry's hand all through Severus' examination and squeezed it a few times when something hurt. Harry watched, hand wrapped in Draco's, smiling softly. When they were done, Draco promptly fell asleep and Harry's own eyes began to droop. But when James pulled Harry's hand away from Draco, Harry's eyes snapped open and he started to cry. So James placed Harry in Draco's crib, already knowing what was happening.

James' family was part Dragon-Shifter. Each Dragon had a soul-mate. The moment they met their soul-mates, the Dragon's entire world shifted. Harry had most likely found his soul-mate. James had found his...but by the time he had found the man he had already been married to Lily. Now he was free to pursue the man...but he would take his time in doing it. He had just lost his wife and he wanted to take things slow. But Harry. Oh Harry was the lucky one. He'd found his soul-mate at such a young age. Draco would be the most protected baby in the world. James smiled, deciding that he would have to tell Lucius and Narcissa what had happened.

Leaving the babies to sleep, James led the way back downstairs. He asked a house elf to bring them some drinks and then sat down next to Severus again. Lucius and Narcissa took seats on a small couch and it was quiet for a few moments. When the drinks had arrived, James spoke in a soft voice.

"I should tell you something about my family as it affects your own, Lucius."

"I'm listening." Lucius said, a little confused.

"My family is part Dragon-Shifter. Do you know anything about that?"

"Of course. Our family is part Dragon as well."

"Good. My Harry has found his soul-mate in your son. I had doubted whether he would have one, seeing as how his mother was purely human, but he has found his."

"I wondered about that. Draco took to Harry so quickly." Narcissa said, smiling.

"They're lucky boys. I only wish I had found Narcissa that young. If I had, my father would never have forced me to become a Death Eater."

Narcissa lay a hand on his arm. "You weren't responsible for that, Lucius. You were under the Imperius, love."

"Luc, listen to me." Severus said quietly.

Lucius looked at Severus and Severus said, "Your wife is right. I know you feel like this is all your fault but it isn't. I've known you since our first year. You would never have done anything like what you did under the Imperius. You're a good man, Lucius."

James nodded. "I don't know you all that well but I can see that Severus is right. Whatever you did under the Imperius was forced. You wouldn't hurt anyone."

Lucius nodded. "Logically, I know that. But...I have all these memories of me torturing and killing innocent people and I just...I hate it. I feel like it's my fault."

"Well it isn't. Come on, I'll find you guys a room."

When Severus had left with the Malfoy's, James decided to retire to his own room. Saying goodnight to Sirius an Remus, James went and climbed in bed. Tomorrow, he would tell Severus the truth. He would tell him that Severus was his soul-mate. How Severus would react James didn't know. But he had to do it. Not telling Severus was killing him.


End file.
